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David Outon

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I caught (and released) this small billfish in the Pacific near Cabo San Lucas a couple of weeks ago. Initially it was said to be a small striped marlin, then the mate claimed it was a white marlin becasue of the short dorsal fin, but later said it wasn't a striped or white, but couldn't remember the name of it. From my research I think its a young blue marlin. Any ideas what it is or who to send the pic to for positive ID? -Thanks!

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Mike

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Kencraft CC

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Any more pics?

That thing has one very small pectoral fin! It's tripping me out..... weird..... who knows, maybe from an encounter in it's earlier years of life. Do you remember if the other pectoral fin was really small like that?

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ken

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Lord Black

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that white vs striped is a wholllle big topic!I'm glad you got a picture.I've been told a couple times that I had whites(never took a picture).Immature stripey?white?,are they even really separate species or just long lost cousins?The more I read up,the more it gets muddied.I hope the real experts weigh in,you've got bigfoot on film-let's hear!

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Jack

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Kenworth

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The bill is a little long though. The long billed spearfish resides more in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. What seems to say spearfish though is the very high pointy drosal fin. Had the angler strecthed out the dorsal more it would show how oddly uneven and pointy high it is.

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Mike

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My very first take was that as well, but you cant really see how long the bill is, plus the fish has a very large tail, and the short billed SF have the smallest tail of all bill fishes..... so that kinda throws that out for me anyways.

Still tripping on how crazy small the pectoral is on the one side. Birth defect or what? Then again the pectoral on the spearfish are the smallest of all the billfish also.

If that were a spearfish, then it would be a pretty damn healthy one..... just dont think it is though.

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David Outon

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I can't seem to upload the only other pic I have, but it shows the length of the bill is too long to be a short billed spear, but maybe a long billed spearfish. I don't remember the length of the other pectoral fin. I was guessing a blue because the dorsal was shorter than the depth of the body and I thought whites were an Atlantic fish. Thanks for the input.

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SM

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Salsipuedes & Czech Mate

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It's a striped marlin. Irrespective of the dorsal (which is not pulled up) the tail configuration, the body and the lower jaw all say striped marlin. Body is too compressed and the lower jaw is too long to be a blue. Dorsal on a short bill spearfish is nearly equal in height all along it's length. Plus that would be a monster of a short bill spearfish. The dorsal on a striped marlin is pointed while on a white the first few rays are equal and create a square block. Also the pectoral fins on a white have rounded tips.

There has never been biological DNA evidence of white marlin in the Pacific, only misinformed anglers wondering about deformed stripes over drinks at the bar.

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Andy

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24' Robalo, Fish & Chips

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At first I thought a spearfish. However, everyone is correct about the dorsal and the longer bill, and freakish large tail. Would like to see the dorsal fully extended, but my thoughts would be a baby blue, or a striped marlin.

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Scott

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There is another Marlin species that is found in the Atlantic that is like a cross between a Longbill Spearfish and a White Marlin called a Hatchet Marlin. I have read where someone thought they caught a Hatchet off of Cabo one time before. Could be a very rare possibility.

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